Improvement in fire-extinguishers



4Sheets--S'he et1. H. BL HART & Mp8. SL1. DILLON-LEE.

Fire-Extinguisher. No.167,664, Pat entedSept.14,l875.'

minus; [five idioms) MPETERS, PNDTO-LITflOBRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

4 Sheets--Sheet 3. DILLON-LEE.

H. GmHART & M. B. SL1.

Fire-Exting uisher.

No.l67,664.

Patented Sept. 14,1875.

M2 72 ewem' N. PETERS, PHOTO LTHUGRAPMER \AASHMGTON 0 c 4Sheets--Sheet4.H. C. HART & M. R. SL1. DlLL'0N-LEE.

Fire-Extinguisher. No, 167,664, Patented Sept.14,1875.

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UNITED STATES PATENT YQFFICE.

HENRY G. HART AND MABMADUKE R. ST. J. DILLON-LEE, OF ADRIAN, MIOH.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-EXTINGUISH ERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 167,664, datedSeptember 14, 1875; application filed December 28, 1874.

' To all whom it may concern:

is a specification:

The object of our invention is to throw a stream of water for any lengthof time from any ordinary water-supply that is highly impregnated withcarbonic-acid gas, and not holding in solution any of the ingredientsused in generating the gas; and to this end the nature of our inventionconsists principally in the construction and arrangement of an apparatusfor generating a-iarge amount of carbonic-acid gas in a short time, andgenerating it just as fast as it is used, and no faster, automatically,no matter how much is used, and in a device for thoroughly mixing thegas and the water together. The water, which is the vehicle of conveyingthe gas, is taken up by a steam-pump from a cistern, reservoir, orfireplug, and forced into a tight drum called the agitator. In saiddrumit comes in contact with two or more paddles rotating at a high rate ofspeed in opposite directions. In this agitator the water is thusrendered into fine spray, being brought into contact with a highpressure of carbonic-acid gas, the force of which gas also expels thewater from the chamber directly below the agitator through the hose, allas hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which our inventionappertains to make and use the same, we will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring to the annexed drawings, whichform a part 0 this specification, and in which- Figure'l is a sideelevation of our machine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same.

4 Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the center of the acid-tank. FigAisacross-section through the gasometer and generators. Fig. 5 is anenlarged cross-section of the agitator.

A represents a carbonic-acid-gas generator, composed of an acid-chamber,a, and a lower chamber, a for containing the carbonate. The

acid-chamber a is filled at the opening a, which is closed by atight-fitting cap. The

carbonate'chamber a is filled by a similaraperture, a and closed in likemanner, and on this cap is a small safety-valve, as shown. On top of thegenerator A is a lever, 00*", which operates the valve 00" to admit thesulphuric acid from the chamber a to the carbonatechamber a In thecarbonate-chamber a is a paddle, a operated by a crank, a for agitatingthe carbonate mixture. At the bottom of this generator is a stop-cock,a, for blowing off the mixture when its chemical capacity is exhausted.The generator ais connected through a connection, a", with a pipe, Iwhich pipe, at the upper end, leads into the pressure-gage B, and at thelower end it connects with the main acid-tank O of the machine. Theconnection a leads from the chamber a into the pipe b, and anotherconnection, 12, leads into said pipe from the acid-chamber a, wherebythe pressure is equalized in both chambers of said generator A. Theobject of the generatorA is to regulate the pressure in the machine, and

keepit at very nearly the same point, as will be hereinafter described.The acid-tank G is composed of an upper chamber, a, and alower chamber,0 whereby the operator is enabled to fill the upper chamber while usingacid from the lower, and thereby overcoming the necessity of stoppingthe machine should a fresh supply of acid be needed. The upper chamber 0is filled at an opening, 0 on top, which opening is closed by a suitablecap. The lower chamber 0 is filled by raising the valve 0, which isoperated by a hand-wheel, 0 at its upper end. These acid-chambers havean equalizing-pipe, 0 with a stop-cock, 0 to shut off the pressure whenit is necessary to fill the upper chamber with acid. Both the chambersare provided with separate glass gages c and c to indicate the supply ofacid in them respectively. 4

The acid-tank O is provided with two valves, e 6 manipulated by means oftheir respective handles 0 and e, to admit acid into either pipe For-Gr, as may be desired. These pipes F G are provided with cocks orvalves d, and lead, respectively, to the main generators I and H,opening into the same at the points 13 and h. The gas-generators H and Iare precisely alike in all particulars, the object of havingv twogenerators in one machine being to avoidthenecessity of stopping theflow of provided with a sh aft, h provided at its lower end with agear-wheel, 702. On this shaft is a screw-paddle, W, for the purpose ofagitating the carbonate mixture. This generator is filled at theopeningh with bicarbonate of soda and water, and closed with a suitablecap. A pipe, 7L5, leads from the generator into the gasometer K, saidpipe being provided with a valve, k,at'its entrance in to the gasometer.The generator I is provided with a similar pipe and valve. It is obviousthat when pressure is obtained in the generator H the ,valve k israised, and thecorresponding valve leading from the generator I will beclosed, entirely disconnecting the same from the remainder of themachine, allowing it to becleaned out and recharged. The same will takeplace under similar circumstances with the generator H. Both of thegenerators are provided with blow-off cocks h and i for removing theircontents when worthless for use. On top of or back of the gasometer K isa tank, L, which can at any time be filled from apump, P, through thepipe 19; and its contents can at anytime be discharged into eithergenerator by the use of the discharge-pipes 1H This water-tank isprovided with an overflow-pipe, 1 to indicate when it is full. The,capacity of the tank L should be equal to the amount of water used incharging a generator.

A The gasometer K is designed to hold the supply of gas created by theoperating generator,and it is used in order that the generators may bemade as small as possible. By the use of the gasometerthe generators canbe filled with a' far larger quantity of carbonate solution than wouldotherwise be practicable, little, or no space being required in thegenerators for accumulating gas. The gasometer is provided with apressure-gage, m, which should at all times indicatethe same pressure asthe gage B, but by its use will show any derangement of the working ofthe generators. i

Leading from the gasometer is a pipe, m which supplies gas to theagitator N. This agitator is for the purpose. of thoroughly impregnatingthe water with the carbonic-acid gas generated in the parts of themachine above described. It is divided into two parts, theagitatorproper N and the water-chamber N. In the part N are paddles a M, to bere? volved. at. high speed in opposite directions. The water being.pumped by the pump P through-the pipe :12 into aperture n passes througha perforated plate or screen, a, and. is-beaten to a fine. spray by thepaddles .n 'n and in thiscondition comes into contact with carbonic-acidgas at high pressure. Every particle} of water being thus separatelyexposed tothe. pressure of the gas, thestream constantly passing,through the agitator isin stantlyimpregnateii' in itspassage. i Thewater passes from the agitatorlN through the opening a into thewater-chamber N, and from thence it is thrown through the hose y uponthe lire;

The boiler, engine, and pump used may be of any suitable construction,and the paddles of the agitator, as well as the shafts of thegenerators, may be. revolved by any suitable means.

The whole machine, engine, boiler, and pump, together with thegas-generating apparatus, will be mounted on a suitable carriage ortruck.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

The small generatorA, having its acid-chamber a filled with sulphuricacid, and its carbonate chamber a filled with a solution of bicarbonateof soda and water, the main acid-tank having both its chambers filledwith sulphuric acid, the generators H and I being supplied with therequisite amount of soda solution, steam beingraised, and thesuction-pipe placed in the water, themachine is readyto operate.

By raising the lever a on the small generator A, a small quantity ofacid is admitted; to the soda solution below, which, by itschem-y icalcombination, generates carbonic-acid gas and creates a pressurethroughout said small generator A, the pipe b, and the main acid-tank G,the amount of which pressure is indicated. at. the gage B. 1 If too muchpressure iscreated, it is relieved by the safety-valve on the cap a.

This pressure being communicated through pipe I) to the acid-tank (J,passes into the lower chamber first, and into the upper chamber. a,through "the equalizingpipe 0 the stop; cock 0 of which should be open.This stop cock is only closed while filling the upper: chamber withacid. t

The pressure on the. acid in the lower cham-.:

ber forces it past the cook or valved in either pipe F or Gr, accordingas either valve 0 or e is opened, and thus the acid is forced into itscorresponding generator H or I. The. acid, coming into contact withthecarbonate in the generator in use, generates gas which creates pressure.

It is obvious that so long as the pressure. in

the acid-chamber c is greater than in thegen-I erator in usethe acidwill/continue to flow into that generator, but as soon as the pressurein the generator is equal to the pressure in; the acid-chamber, the acidwill cease to flow.

As fast as the gas isused and. the pressure in gasometer K, with which.it isconneeted, equal to thepressure in the small generator A. The gasin this small generator being.

, used only to create. a pressure in that genere ator and in theacidtank, and not being consumed, will maintain nearly the same pressurefor a longtime, and, consequently, the; press-i ure throughoutthewholemachinewill be sus-u tained. at nearly. the same pointautomatically.

Instead of using paddles to convert the water into fine spray, this maybe accomplished in various other ways; hence we do not confine ourselvesto the use of paddles for this purpose.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, anddesire to'secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In chemical fire-extinguishers, containing an acid-tank and one ormore generators, an

auxiliary generator for generating gas to force the acid into the maingenerator, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The acid-tank 0 divided into two chambers, 0 c and provided with thevalve 0 connecting pipe 0 having cock 0, and glass gages 0 0substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. The generator A, having chamber a for the acid, and chamber a for thecarbonate, in combination with the acid-tank O and the generators H andI, the acid-tank being connected with the generators H and I by thepipes F and G, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a chemical fire extinguisher, the method of impregnating the waterwith carbonic acid gas, by converting the water to a fine spray, and,While in that condition,allowing it to come in contact with the gasunder pressure, substantially as herein set forth.

5. The agitator N, provided with paddles revolving in oppositedirections, in combination with an apparatus for supplying gas thereto,and with a water-supply, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of the generator A and acid-tank O with thegenerators H and I at an HENRY O. HART.

MARMADUKE R. ST. JAS. DILLON-LEE.

Witnesses:

CHAS. M. WALKER, HARRY WEBSTER.

